ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2022 37 WHY IS PREBIOTIC FIBRE IMPORTANT? Dietary fibre is the indigestible part of plant material and can be soluble, insoluble or a mix of the two. Insoluble fibres can create bulking and a longer feeling of fulness, while also supporting bowel function. Soluble fibres include fermentable fibres (such as those found in sugar beet pulp) and prebiotic fibres. While both are dissolved and fermented in the colon, only prebiotic fibre sources like inulin-type fructans specifically feed healthy gut bacteria when they reach the colon. Prebiotics are “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit” (ISAPP, Gibson et al. 2017). Both the criteria for feeding beneficial bacteria and conferring a health benefit need to be fulfilled for an ingredient to be defined as a prebiotic. In comparison to other fermentable fibres, chicory root fibres - namely chicory inulin and oligofructose - are natural prebiotics for many animals like cats and dogs and they support a healthy microbiota along with other health benefits. PRODUCTS MASQUERADING AS PREBIOTIC With almost 80% of respondents stating that “prebiotic” on-pack communication affects their interest in buying a certain food for their pets, this has led to some suppliers making unfounded ‘prebiotic’ claims for their products. In the pet food industry at present, there are a profusion of products that are being promoted as prebiotic but in fact aren’t (such as fermentable fibres-containing ingredients, or even resistant starches). However, the only established prebiotics that have been scientifically proven to selectively encourage the growth of good bacteria and deliver related health benefits in humans - with corresponding evidence in pets as well - are inulintype fructans, including BENEO’s natural chicory root fibres Orafti® Inulin and Oligofructose. When the chicory root fibres reach the colon, they are selectively fermented by the good microbiota residing in the pets' intestine, such as bifidobacteria, and selectively stimulate their growth and proliferation. Additionally, their fermentation by selected microbiota results in the production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs), namely acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These fatty acids decrease the lumen pH in the gut and enhance its structure. They also strengthen the gut mucosa’s barrier against pathogenic bacteria, as butyrate is the primary source of energy for the intestinal cells. SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN PREBIOTIC EFFECT Chicory inulin and oligofructose have been studied
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